Employees hanging door hangers

Anyone have any good advice for getting employees to distribute door hangers?

I've already figured out that if I pay these guys by the hour they're going to loaf and go really slow. I CANNOT STAND to pay my guys by the hour. It drives me absolutely nuts.

If I pay them by the door hanger, I feel like I can get pretty good production out of them. But if I pay them by the piece, what's the best way to ensure that they're distributing 100% of them (as opposed to distributing 80% of them and throwing the other 20% in the trash and telling me they did them)?

I've got to be able to get my door hangers distributed in a manner such that I'm not out driving around checking up on distribution, but rather, answering the telephone in the office.

Anyone have any good advice for getting employees to distribute door hangers?

I've already figured out that if I pay these guys by the hour they're going to loaf and go really slow. I CANNOT STAND to pay my guys by the hour. It drives me absolutely nuts.

If I pay them by the door hanger, I feel like I can get pretty good production out of them. But if I pay them by the piece, what's the best way to ensure that they're distributing 100% of them (as opposed to distributing 80% of them and throwing the other 20% in the trash and telling me they did them)?

I've got to be able to get my door hangers distributed in a manner such that I'm not out driving around checking up on distribution, but rather, answering the telephone in the office.

Any tricks out there that a more veteran LCO can share?

Thanks,
DFW Area Landscaper

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I have no experiance with this but i do have an idea,
how about a code on ech persons hangers, like jack is 012 and joe is 013 tony is 014, then pay hourly and offer incentive bonus for responses, its their income that stands to profit from the incentive, therefore they should try harder to get more out
like i say just an idea.

++++how about a code on ech persons hangers, like jack is 012 and joe is 013 tony is 014++++

That's a good idea that I thought about too. Problem is, my door hangers have already been printed without that information. There is also the problem of customers finding me in the yellow pages or calling from the signs they see on my trucks in a neighborhood where my guys distributed door hangers. How am I going to explain to my crew leader that it's just coincidence that he delived door hangers to that area and the customer turned to the yellow pages? Then, suddenly, the distrust is on me. I don't want that.

The problem with contracting out the distribution is I can instruct my crew leaders to target certain sized lots in certain areas with more disposable income. I don't think that would be as easy with a third party contractor. If I contract it out, these are going to be delivered to homes where my crew leaders live and stuff like that. People that just won't pay for my service. I figure a contractor would also distribute to larger lots that I don't really want. Whereas, I can tell my crew leaders "If it's a lawn that we wouldn't want to mow for $30 a cut, don't hang the door hangers there. And if the neighborhood is poor, stay away."

Must be somewhat frightening to send your employees out with trucks, trailers, and equipment to deal in a proper manner with your customer if you are concerned that they might rip you off by tossing door hangers in the trash. Sounds like your problems might run deeper than how to pay them. trust???

Yes. Trust is very important. However, when you send a crew out to mow a lawn, if it doesn't get done, you'll find out about it because the customer was expecting it. No one is expecting to get a door hanger on their door, so the automatic system of checks and balances doesn't exist here. This comes down to 100% honesty and nothing else.

I guess I'll try to get out a couple of times a day with each crew just so they see me out checking up on them. Just hope I don't get any new customer calls while I'm out driving around. I don't know what else to do.

if your guys have mobile phones have them put their own number on their hangers,,,,then they will have to hang the hangers and sell the job! based on actual starts and new customers, pay them a sweet percentage of the first months check from each sale!

Yes, the cell phone is the business line. But when I'm at home, if the call quality is poor, I can ask to call the customer right back from a better line. When I'm driving down the road, I can't do that. Generally, if I'm sitting still, the sound quality is very good with Verizon wireless.

I am one of the few who require a credit card for service. No credit card, no service. Requiring a credit card is hard enough as it is without having to overcome the obvious give away of a cell phone. At least when I'm stationary with the cell phone, it sounds pretty good. But I think you see where I'm going with this. A customer calls from a door hanger. You ask for a credit card and they can tell you're on a cell phone...not a good situation.

Yes, the cell phone is the business line. But when I'm at home, if the call quality is poor, I can ask to call the customer right back from a better line. When I'm driving down the road, I can't do that. Generally, if I'm sitting still, the sound quality is very good with Verizon wireless.

I am one of the few who require a credit card for service. No credit card, no service. Requiring a credit card is hard enough as it is without having to overcome the obvious give away of a cell phone. At least when I'm stationary with the cell phone, it sounds pretty good. But I think you see where I'm going with this. A customer calls from a door hanger. You ask for a credit card and they can tell you're on a cell phone...not a good situation.

Later,
DFW Area Landscaper

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I use the cell phone too and only take CC and it hasn't been an issue for me.